(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for determining the amount of fertilizer which, in producing grains such as rice grains or wheat grains, is applied at appropriate times, a method for estimating the quality and the yield of the rice and wheat as results of the fertilizer applied, and an apparatus for providing such production information.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, the production control of grain crops such as rice grains and wheat grains has been so conducted that, the producers independently have collected information such as the leaf colors and heights of plants and the number of stems which serve as information for the control, have effected a nutritional diagnosis, and have effected the producers"" own fertilizer application by relying on their intuition and experience.
However, the producers have effected the fertilizer application, not necessarily with the full understanding of the principle and methods which are used for producing targeted grains (for example, good taste in the case of rice and high protein in the case of wheat), but by following the conventional fertilizer application of the fields used in the production for many years, so that the chances when they could appreciate, by comparing with others, as to whether the method used is appropriate for the production of the grains are when they receive relevant information from agricultural advisors of Japanese Agricultural Association or consulting organizations.
On the other hand, although many quality and grade measuring apparatuses have been developed for the measurement of elements such as rice taste and protein of the grains after they are harvested, such information has never been systematically put together and effectively reflected to the cultivating control by the producers. Even if such information is made available, it has been difficult for individual producers to have such information reflected to the cultivating control with the understanding of and based on the relation between the information of the amounts and times of fertilizer application and the information on qualities and grades, so that the producers had no alternative but to rely on their intuition and experience. That is, there has been no means to interrelate the controlling technique which the individual producers possessed with respect to the cultivation of grains with the resulting information with respect to the qualities in a systematic way, and it has been difficult for the individual producers to control the cultivation based on any useful information and to obtain any positive information as to what cultivation control may be made for the targeted qualities and grades of grains.
Generally, the cultivation control is carried out based on the quality and grade as the ultimate goal, but sometimes the cultivation control is made for the ultimate goal of yields for grains such as long grain types and wheat grains. It is true that, also in this cultivation control ultimately aiming at a large yield, the producers rely on their intuition and experience.
In the cultivation control carried out based on the producers"" intuition and experience, the aims are for the ideal qualities and grades, and a larger yield, but in this case the final assessment can be made only after the harvesting. That is, the qualities, grades and yields become definite only after the harvesting so that, in the case of buying and selling of, for example, the rice based on the rice taste, the assessment in the case of buying before the harvesting is indiscriminately based on the kinds, producers and localities, so that the assessment is not directly based on the actual rice taste and relies on the experience and intuition of buyers. Also, the producers had no means to show to the buyers any definite support with respect to the expected rice taste after the harvesting.
Also, in the aspect of yields, since the final yield does not become available until after the harvesting, and the buying before the harvesting and any plans for expenditure based thereon often use very rough figures, it is often necessitated to change such plans according to the amount of the actual yields after the harvesting. The producers had no means by which the reliable yield can be ensured.
As explained above, since no method and apparatus were available for providing information which interrelates and systematizes the cultivation control which has been relied on the producers"" experience and the intuition based thereon and the qualities and grades of grains resulted therefrom, there was no means available for reliably ensuring the targeted qualities and grades or yields. Therefore, it has been desired to provide a method with which, in order to obtain the targeted qualities and grades or the targeted yields from the grain crops actually growing, it becomes known specifically what amount of fertilizer is to be applied next, or to develop an apparatus which can indicate such information with the apparatus being adapted to be used by anybody.
Also, about one month before the harvesting when the cultivation control has generally been completed, if information becomes available as to whether the qualities and grades are in accord with those targeted, or whether the yields can be obtained as targeted, the producers have means to guarantee the qualities and grades or to ensure the yields, and to ensure the earnings resulting therefrom. However, if the cultivation control solely relies as heretofore on the producers"" experience and intuition, the estimation of the after-harvesting information is difficult, so that it is desired to develop a method which provides the reliable information to be indicated to those on the buying side or an apparatus which provides such information.
An object of the present invention, therefore, is to overcome the problems existing in the prior art, and to provide a method for determining the amount of fertilizer to be applied and an apparatus for providing production information with which the calculated results are displayed at its display section. According to one aspect, the invention enables the determination of the amount of fertilizer to be applied in growth stages of the grain crops. For this purpose, on one hand, a fertilizer application related formula for obtaining the amount of fertilizer to be applied at a specific stage is established by analyzing the relationship among growth information including leaf blade information related to the specific stage, quality information of produced grains, and fertilizer application information related to the specific stage, the formula being stored in a memory section. On the other hand, the amount of fertilizer to be applied at the specific stage to grain crops presently under growth is calculated from growth information including leaf blade information related to the specific stage, and targeted quality information obtained and input in an input section, and the amount of fertilizer to be applied is calculated at an arithmetic section by applying the above pieces of information to the fertilizer application related formula established in advance and by the analysis.
For producing grains of targeted quality, in order to make judgement as to what amounts of fertilizer are to be applied at specific stages such as a basal dressing stage, an additional manuring stage, an ear manuring stage, and a top dressing at ripening stage, a formula is established in advance in the following way. From the growth information including the leaf blade information (nitrogen content, color, chlorophyll content, etc. of a leaf) which is related to specific stages in the past growth records and which has brought growth results at specific stages, the fertilizer application information (amounts, times, etc. of the fertilizer applied), and the quality information (rice taste and grade in rice and protein content in wheat, etc.) of the grains produced under these conditions, the amounts of fertilizer to be applied are made target variables at specific stages and, by subjecting these relations to a linear analysis or a non-linear analysis, the fertilizer application related formula for obtaining the amounts of fertilizer to be applied at specific stages is established.
In the formula established as above, by inputting the growth information including leaf blade information related to specific stages, and the quality information such as the taste value of rice which is targeted by the producers, it is possible to obtain the amounts of the fertilizer to be applied at the specific stages. If the producers follow the results and apply the amounts of fertilizer to be applied at the specific stages, the production of the grains can follow the track of target quality production. That is, conventionally, the determination of the amounts of fertilizer to be applied based on the information relating to colors of leaves, number of stems and heights of plants or any information from various sources was made based on the intuition and experience of the producers, and the aim was to produce the grain of at least the same quality or the grain whose quality is not lowered. However, ever, according to the invention, in the quality related formula analyzed from the growth information including the actually measured leaf blade information, the fertilizer application information and the quality information, it is possible to input the targeted quality information thereby enabling the production of grains in a positive manner. The specific stages herein mentioned include, for rice, the fertilizer application stage in the period intervening between a panicle initiation stage and a reduction division stage, and the fertilizer application stage in the period subsequent to the reduction division, which stages are said to be important fertilizer application stages and, for wheat, a stage just before and after the panicle initiation stage and a stage just before and after a maximum tiller number stage, which stages are said to be important fertilizer application stages. Further, by adding basal dressing information to the fertilizer application information in establishing the fertilizer application related formula, it is possible to make the formula more precise because the fertilizer application information can include the first information in the entire growth period. Also, by renewing the formula every year by adding relevant information, it is possible to make the formula more accurate in relation to localities and brands of grains.
Further, according to another aspect, the invention enables the determination of the amount of fertilizer to be applied in growth stages of the grain crops. For this purpose, on one hand, a fertilizer application related formula for obtaining the amount of fertilizer to be applied at a specific stage is obtained in advance by analyzing the relationship among growth information including leaf blade information related to the specific time, yield information of produced grains, and fertilizer application information related to the specific stage, and this formula is stored in a memory section. On the other hand, the amount of fertilizer to be applied at the specific stage to presently growing grain crops is calculated from growth information of the grain crops presently under growth including leaf blade information related to the specific stage, and the targeted yield information obtained and input in the input section, and the amount of fertilizer to be applied is obtained at an arithmetic section by applying these pieces of information to the fertilizer application related formula established in advance and by the analysis. The invention also provides an apparatus for providing production information with which the calculated results are displayed at its display section.
For producing grains of targeted yield, in order to make judgement as to what amounts of fertilizer are to be applied at specific stages such as an additional manuring stage, an ear manuring stage, and a top dressing at ripening stage, a formula is established in advance in the following way. From the growth information including the leaf blade information (nitrogen content, color, chlorophyll content, etc. of a leaf) which is related to specific stages in the past growth records and which has brought about growth results at specific stages, the fertilizer application information, and the yield information (yields and harvesting times of rice and wheat) of the grains produced under these conditions, the amounts of fertilizer to be applied are made target variables at specific stages and, by subjecting these relations to a linear analysis or a non-linear analysis, the fertilizer application related formula for obtaining the amounts of fertilizer to be applied at specific stages is established.
In the formula established as above, by inputting the growth information including the leaf blade information related to specific stages, and the yield information such as the yield quantity which is targeted by the producers, it is possible to calculate the amounts of fertilizer to be applied at the specific stages. If the producers follow the results and apply the calculated amounts of fertilizer at the specific stages, the production of the grains can follow the track of target yield. Conventionally, the determination of the amounts of fertilizer application based on the information relating to colors of eaves, number of stems and heights of plants or any information from various sources was made based on the intuition and experience of the producers, and the aim was to produce the grain of at least the same yield or the grain whose yield is not lowered. However, according to the invention, in the yield related formula analyzed from the growth information including the actually measured leaf blade information, the fertilizer application information and the quality information, it is possible to input the targeted yield information thereby enabling the determination of the amounts of fertilizer application appropriate to the targeted yields.
Also, the invention enables the estimation of the quality of grains to be harvested after the grain crops have grown. For this purpose, on one hand, a quality related formula is established by analyzing the relationship between growth information during the growth of rice crops including leaf blade information and fertilizer application information, and the quality of the grown grains, and this formula is stored in the memory section. On the other hand, growth information including the leaf blade information and fertilizer application information is obtained from the grain crops presently under growth and is input to the input section, and the quality of grains after the growth is calculated at an arithmetic section by applying these pieces of information to the quality related formula established in advance by the analysis. The calculated results are displayed at the display section as an apparatus for providing production information.
According to the above, the quality related formula with which the quality of the grain to be harvested can be estimated before the harvesting is established by linear analysis or non-linear analysis of the quality of the harvested grains and the growth information including leaf blade information and the fertilizer application information in an overall growth stage or a characteristic stage such as a panicle initiation stage, a reduction division stage, or a maximum tiller number stage, with the quality of the grains after the harvesting being made the targeted variables. In this way, by inputting in the quality related formula the necessary information in the growth period, the producers can estimate the quality of the grains in the case where the grains are to be timely harvested. Thus, since the estimation of the quality of the grains can be made in advance of the harvesting, which was not possible before, the producers can use the estimation as a support to the quality.
Also, as a further aspect, the invention provides a method for estimating the yield of grains to be harvested after the growth of crops. For this purpose, on one hand, a yield related formula is established by analyzing the relationship between growth information including leaf blade information and fertilizer application information related to the growth periods, and yield information of grown grains, and this formula is stored in the memory section. On the other hand, the growth information including the leaf blade information and the fertilizer application information is obtained from the grain crops presently under growth and is input to the input section, and the yield of grains after the growth is calculated at an arithmetic section by applying these pieces of information to the yield related formula established in advance by the analysis. The calculated results are displayed at the display section as an apparatus for providing production information.
According to the above, the yield related formula with which the yield of the grains to be harvested can be estimated before the harvesting is established by linear analysis or non-linear analysis of the yield of the harvested grains and the growth information including leaf blade information and the fertilizer application information in an overall growth stage or a characteristic stage such as a panicle initiation stage, a reduction division stage, or a maximum tiller number stage, with the yield of the grains after the harvesting being made the targeted variables. In this way, by inputting in the quality related formula the necessary information in the growth periods, the producers can estimate the yield of the grains in the case where the grains are to be harvested timely. Thus, since the estimation of the yield of the grains can now be made in advance of the harvesting, which was not possible before, the producers can use the estimation as a support to the yield.
In the above growth information, there are cases wherein soil information relating to brands or production localities is included. The amount and time of fertilizer application may sometimes be different depending on brands of grains. If the formula is established individually for application to an individual brand, it is possible to determine the accurate amount of fertilizer to be applied and to estimate the exact yield of the grains when timely harvested. Also, since the growth of the crops is influenced by the expressiveness of the nitrogen-supplying potential of soil and the amount of fertilizer applied, the formula specific to kinds of soil, such as gray lowland soil, gley soil, or gray volcanic ash soil (kuroboku soil), it is possible to determine the amount of fertilizer to be applied most suited to the soil and the growth.
Also, in the growth information, if the accumulated temperature and the growth days are added, it is possible to determine a further appropriate amount of fertilizer to be applied in order to obtain grains of good quality or high yield, or to make accurate estimation of the quality or the yield. As explained earlier, the leaf blade information includes the nitrogen contents, colors, and chlorophyll contents of leaf blades. The leaf blade values can be measured and calculated by establishing in advance the formula for obtaining the leaf blade values based on the absorbance value obtained by irradiating the light on a leaf blade whose leaf blade values are known and the known leaf blade values, and the absorbance value obtained by irradiating the light on a leaf blade whose leaf blade values are unknown. Therefore, from the growth information including leaf blade value measured and calculated, the fertilizer application related formula, the quality related formula or the yield related formula may be established; from the growth information including the leaf blade values of the grain crops presently under growth and the fertilizer application related formula, the amount of the fertilizer to be applied may be established; from the quality related formula, the quality may be estimated; or from the yield related formula, the yield may be estimated. Further, by making the absorbance directly as the leaf blade information without passing through the leaf blade related formula, the growth information including leaf blade information constituted by the absorbance may be used for establishing the fertilizer application related formula, the quality related formula or the yield related formula.